MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Tibetan Buddhist monks took millions of grains of sand and constructed a mandala at a South Florida university.

Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery started building the mandala sand painting Monday at Florida International University, laying the grains of sand into place on a flat platform over several days to form the image. A mandala depicts the holy images of the Buddhist religion.

The sand artwork was completed Thursday night followed by a closing ceremony.

The Drepung Loseling Monastery is a non-profit organization based in Atlanta dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions of wisdom and compassion.